Sunday, September 24, 2017

On one hand, I love the flavor of Ham. Ham chips will always and forever be some of my favorite chips.

However. I tried these on the same day I ate some Walkers. And it reminded me so strongly that Walkers makes some of the best damn chips around.
The texture of chips manufactured by Lay's France can not come close to the texture of Walkers. Not in any universe are they even neighbors!
France always makes thin, crumbly, flakey, overcooked, semi flavorless chips.... and once again we have that here in this bag.
Which is unfortunate, because the flavors from Lay's France are incredible. The Ham flavor is decadent and rich and meaty and sumptuous. But it is almost wasted on a lackluster potato chip.

Now, don't get me wrong, on it's own, the chip holds up and is a nice treat. But, when you are eating it, literally at the same time you are eating Walkers, the failures become overwhelmingly obvious.

Final Thoughts: If you are in France and you like these meaty flavors, please feel free to pick up a bag and eat it. Lord knows there are worse chips around. But, if you are looking for Potato quality, search elsewhere.
But, what do you think? Have you tried French Lay's? Do you agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comments below.

Thursday, September 21, 2017

IDK how they make the chips taste so good in the UK, but I want to live my life by the same philosophy.

The chips as usual are rich and tasty and crispy. This time paired with a sweet and acid punch of "Balsamic Vinegar of Modena". Unlike the kick from a traditional "Salt & Vinegar" crisp, the Balsamic flavoring has the more complex flavor and sweetness of the grape sugars used to produce Balsamic.
I would liken this bag to sitting at an Italian restaurant and dipping bread in freshly poured Balsamic Vinegar. It's very true to the flavor described.

The bag is incredibly tasty and unique and I would highly recommend it to any fans of the delicious chips being made by Walkers. The texture and unique flavors can rarely be beat. Loved this bag! A+

Monday, September 18, 2017

Do you guys remember back when Lay's unveiled the "Do Us A Flavor" 10 Semi finalists. IDK, if yall remember me saying that this flavor sounded so good that it should be a permanent flavor... but I did and I guess Walmart felt similarly. Right now, as a tie in to the "Do Us A Flavor" competition (That's stupid and weird btw Lay's), you can find the "Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Popper" flavor exclusively at Walmart. I don't know how limited the run of it will be, but it is a bag being carried by Walmart outside of the competition, so it could stay a store exclusive. That's weird, but I think Walmart got a good deal. These are a sure fire seller regardless of what they taste like.

So... if you want to try these, climb over the mountain of homeless people outside and make your way down the stinky aisles of Walmart to hunt these down. Who knows how much longer you'll be able to.

Friday, September 15, 2017

For one weekend only last month Chester Cheetah opened up a Cheetos restaurant in NYC. The food sounds like it was Amazing... check out the awesome info from the website.

Here is the introduction:

"Cheetos by Chester. Food by Anne Burrell.

Welcome to my restaurant. Well, my restaurant’s website!

As all of you (hopefully) know, I have a passion for
cheesy, crunchy and downright delicious food. After years of cooking up
dishes infused with my cheesy snacks, I was over the moon to discover
that Cheetos connoisseurs had started sharing and liking their own. All
of the Cheetos sushi rolls, Cheetos bagels and cheesy Cheetos pizzas
gave me a brilliant idea: recruit the most dangerously cheesy celebrity
chef, Anne Burrell, to help elevate my almost-purrfect Cheetos recipes
for the very first Cheetos restaurant, The Spotted Cheetah.

Pull up a chair and grab a napkin — you’re going to need it because it’s about to get dangerously cheesy!
Chester Cheetah

Real dining. Real delicious.
Really, reserve your spot now."

The Menu sounds incredible:

DangerouslyCheesyStarters

Cheetos Crusted Fried Pickles + Creamy Ranch

Time to get
your paws messy! These Cheetos crusted fried pickles are meant for
dunking in creamy homemade ranch. We condone the use of all hands and
paws as utensils.

Flamin’ Hot and White Cheddar Mac n’ Cheetos

Cheetos Mix-ups Crusted Chicken Milanese

Because
variety is the spice of life, this chicken fillet comes crusted with the
four cheesy flavors of Cheetos Mix-Ups and paired with a salad of mixed
greens, hazelnuts and pickled onions, topped with even more Cheetos
Mix-Ups.

Spicy Cheetos Nachos

Cheetos are
the new tortilla chips. These “nachos” are smothered with spicy sausage
ragù and creamy cheese, then piled high with crisp lettuce, tomatoes,
jalapeños and a dollop of sour cream.

Flamin’ Hot Limón Chicken Tacos

Cheetos Sweetos Crusted Cheesecake

Get yourself a
forkful of my rich goat cheese cheesecake with a crunchy Cheetos
Sweetos crust. If that wasn’t enough, the delicious blueberry compote is
like the icing on the (cheese)cake. Pun very intended.

Cheetos Sweetos Sweet and Salty Cookies

Every dreamy
bite of these warm cookies is packed with Cinnamon Sugar Cheetos
Sweetos. In fact, they’re dangerously delicious when dunked in the
Cheetos Sweetos Salted Caramel dipper.

White Cheddar Cheetos and Cheetos Sweetos Apple Crepes

Eating these
light and airy crepes topped with a blend of White Cheddar Cheetos and
Cinnamon Sugar Cheetos Sweetos crumbles is like biting into a cheesy,
apple-y cloud.

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

But, for some reason, people in other countries just DO NOT understand the magic of Cheetos. They be changing em and making em all weird.

So, in Brazil, the Cheetos line comes in different shapes but they are all puffs... there are no crunchy Cheetos. They shapes are "Lua" which look like traditional Puffs, "Bola" which look like Cheese Balls, "Fogo" which look like Paws, "Explosao" which look like Triangles, and "Onda" which are a squigly shape (and maybe more). The Assado subtitle translates to Roasted, but I'm guessing in Portuguese that also means to Bake because of the Latin root in the word... and this picture from their facebook...In America, Puffs are Oven-Dried, not Fried... so that might also be what this means. How are Cheese Puffs made?? Whatever the answer, that is why this label says "Assado". I don't know what other subtitles they have, if it says "Pipoca" that is Cheetos Popcorn.

Ok, so moving on from that lil mini wiki. These are in a "Parmesan Cheese" flavor. The Cheddar flavor tragically doesn't exist there.
So, the review... the Puff was fine. It's a corn puff, you can't really mess it up. The seasoning is crazy. It tastes so much like Parmesan, which I love. But, it was TOO real. It tasted EXACTLY like those dried Parmesan crisps, but a puff! It has the distinctive after taste of Parmesan. It was just TOOOO real. I like Cheetos because I like Cheetos seasoning. It is the most perfect seasoning in the Universe, and I am consistently SHOCKED to not see it at all in other countries offerings. Brazil! You are missing out!!
But, if you want to try something KIND-OF like Cheetos while you are away, and you like the strong taste of Parm, try these, they are weird, but DELICIOUS!

Sunday, September 10, 2017

I caved guys. I caved.
Here is a bag of the Kettle Cooked "Everything Bagel" flavor from Lay's USAs current "Do Us A Flavor" competition.
In the lead up to trying it, it didn't sound very good. I imagined heavy cream cheese flavor (like a "sour cream & onion" bag) and minimal "everything bagel" flavor. I was wondering how they could replicate the unique potency of poppy seeds and all the other treasures on an everything bagel... well, now we know.
First of all, I was shocked by how mild the cream cheese flavor was. I could almost go out on a limb and say they could have added more; but I don't want to nit-pick. It was very tasty, just enough cream cheese flavor to compliment the garlic, onion, AND.... poppy seed... real... poppy seed!What shook me the most about this bag was how strong that flavor of "Everything Bagel" really was. When I gave the chips a better look, I noticed they were actually covered in REAL poppy seeds. I didn't think Lay's would pull off that move... but they did; and it pays off big time with this bag. It lends an incredibly authentic flavor to what they were trying to accomplish with this bag. The bag really tastes like an Everything bagel.
Lastly, I just want to touch on the fact that the Kettle Cooked chips used to be my favorite cook on chips from Lay's USA... but today I consider it hit or miss. These fell somewhere in between. I can't say I loved the texture. But, they were cooked, not burnt, and tasted very fresh, so, It was just the texture that I didn't care for as much as the seasoning.

Anyways, let me know... have you guys tried these? Have you tried the competition yet? What did you think? Did they surprise you like they surprised me?

Saturday, September 9, 2017

We get it Lay's Canada! You watch Rick & Morty!
(Canada is so cool you guys)

Look at that! Capitalizing on the WAVE of Szechuan Sauce fans coming out, here is Lay's Canada's new "Sizzlin' Szechuan" and "Paprika & Sweet Onion". The two flavors are very bold in contrast to the rest of Canada's range... but I find that exciting!
I tried the US's "Chinese Szechuan" offering last year and it was good... it tasted JUST like Chinese takeout, so, I'd give the Canadian version a chance. As for "Paprika & Sweet Onion" I love Paprika the spice... put it on anything for me... this sounds like a WIN.

Anyways, these are available now, possibly for a limited time, grab em, order em on ebay, do what you gotta do.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

These came out last year, I missed them, I know I did... but THANKFULLY, none were truly original flavors.
The flavors were part of Lay's Canada's "World Flavourites" (get it, like, Favorites?) a promotion that ran last Summer in Canada. The Thai inspired flavor is "Thai Sweet Chili", which is a favorite of mine when Walkers in the UK makes it. The Canadian inspired flavor is from Lay's Canada's 2014 "Do Us A Flavour" competition... it is the "Bacon Poutine" flavor. And The UK inspired flavor is "Cheese & Onion"... one of the classic Walkers UK flavors... I think this tastes like "In & Out" a local fast food chain here in California, it's an awesome flavor combo. Sooooo.... sorry for the outdated news, but the bags are still something cool to look at. I've never seen this packaging before from Lay's and I really like it. It blends the "Do Us A Flavor" packaging with a new look.

Secondly, there was a new Canadian release last Fall with the flavor "Swiss Chalet Chalet Sauce". The bags are exclusive to select Swiss Chalet restaurants in Canada. They emulate the flavor of the Chalet Sauce, a cult favorite since the sauce was developed in 1954. Apparently, these sold out SUPER fast, so Lay's ordered more. I'd guess you can still hunt these down if you were to call up a few Swiss Chalets.

That wraps it up for late news, there are also a pair of new flavors from Canada that just released, I'll give you the details about all that asap. Enjoy & happy hunting.

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Well, it was a nice run America.
We tried to do some cool shit here. But then somehow we got a Cheeto for a President, and we got these 3 bags of dumpster garbage as our "Do Us A Flavor" Finalists.
I read about this in the book of Revelations, and I thought it was all a Metaphor. I was wrong. So wrong.

Look, Ima keep it 100 with yall. I'm not going to buy these for review. They all sound stupid and gross. If someone shares one with me, and I don't die of potato chip poisoning, I might discuss. But otherwise, I refuse to give Lay's USA my money here.

You can read my thoughts on these flavors in the last post I wrote about Lay's USA's Semi-finalists. I'm not going to reiterate how lackluster all of these sound. I will note that here in California, the only flavor I've heard anyone even debate tasting is the Crispy Taco flavor... which to me also seems like the only one of the 3 that might pack any sort of interesting flavor.

Monday, July 17, 2017

Two Flavors in One!!
Here is a mix bag from Lay's Spain that combines "Jamon & Queso" aka "Spanish Ham & Cheese".
I think my bag was pretty Jamon heavy, but it was still pretty tasty. The Jamon chips taste a bit like Bacon & the Queso chips taste really lightly of cheese. Not Cheddar like in America, but generic cheese similar to swiss but not strong enough to say swiss. I don't know if this is typical of these bags, but I really thought almost all of mine were Ham chips. When I didn't get a Ham flavored one, the other chips seemed lightly flavored by comparison, so I can't really say this bag lived up to it's promises. BUT I really love the Jamon flavored chips from Spain, so that isn't really a complaint. I don't consider this a perfect bag but still edible and enjoyable.
Have you tried these mix bags from Spain before? Did anyone else have these imbalanced flavor problems? Let us know in the comments below!

Thursday, July 13, 2017

These chips are hilarious to me guys. They really are.
Look, I don't eat a lot of Tikka Masala okay. I don't eat much Indian food at all. I really hate/despise Cumin, and Indian Food seems to be rife with it. So, my point is, I don't know how representative of Tikka Masala these are.
BUT. If you are looking for a spicy bag of Kettle Cooked Chicken Top Ramen flavored chips... LOOK NO FURTHER!

These are TOP RAMEN flavored chips. Dead on. Yes they are spicy and smell of the devil's favorite spice: Cumin. BUT the flavor is exactly Chicken Top Ramen. But Spicy.

The chip quality is fine. USA makes a solid Kettle Chip. The seasoning is bright and gives the chips and orange glow. The chips look fine.

The dopeness in this bag is the seasoning. It is a magical secret.

I used to eat Top Ramen Chicken seasoning loose in the palm of my hand. OR break apart solid Ramen bricks and season those and eat them dry... I do NOT know if that is bad for you, I just know that I did it. And this seems like a better way to get your fix.

SO, if you just dont smell into the bag, these are AMAZING! lol.

What do you think? Have you tried these yet? Am I crazy? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Monday, July 10, 2017

HEY FAM! Here are the 10 Semi Finalists for 2017s Do Us A Flavor USA Contest.
I'm not going to go too in depth on these because only 3 of these flavors will actually get manufactured and get sold in stores. In fact, the point of releasing 10 semi finalists is STUPID. It's just going to piss people off when a flavor that sounds good to them doesnt end up being made. AND the 3 finalist are going to be announced in less than 10 days from the announcement of these 10 flavors... SO this news is stupid. Period.

I feel like these would taste like "El Paso" Taco seasoning thrown on chips.

I also didn't love the "Smoked Gouda & Chive" Limited Edition chips that came out 2 years ago. I couldn't identify the Smoked Gouda flavor... HOWEVER, my friends could.

Either way, I think a Cheese & Honey flavored chip actually sounds INCREDIBLE. So, I'd be excited for this bag.

Wavy "Fried Green Tomato" & Wavy "Avocado Toast"... These are 2 flavors that sound DOPE on a menu, then you think about them and it sounds BLEGH. In my mind, Fried Green Tomatoes are bland green tomatoes that have been fried. They need something else like a sauce to taste good. So this bag would be a snore.

"Avocado Toast" is delicious, but it's another plain taste. How does this get conveyed in a bag of chips? If it was guacamole toast, then I'd feel different, but... It just sounds in my mind like another snore.

"Spinach Artichoke Dip" seems like something that would taste great on a chip, mostly because its something that goes well on a chip in real life. I can see the seasoning being creamy and acidic and really tasty.

"Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Popper" is a sure fire win if they do it right. Lay's already makes great Bacon flavored chips, Jalapeño flavored chips, and cream cheese flavored chips. If they combine these 3 seasonings well I could see this becoming a permanent chip bag.

"Toasted Ravioli" & "Nashville Hot Chicken".

"Toasted Ravioli"? It could work, maybe. I think it would be like a tomato & cheese flavor combo... the chip will play the part of the pasta. Hmm. IDK.

"Nashville Hot Chicken"... sorry guys. I do not know what this tastes like in real life. Wikipedia says its a form of fried chicken that originates (obviously) from Nashville that is marinated in a water-based blend of seasoning; then floured, fried, and sauced using a paste that has been spiced with Cayenne pepper. (Oh, I'm allergic to Cayenne, I can't try these yall). Also, served often with Pickles.

It definitely can work in chip form. The previous "Fried Chicken & Waffles" pulled off Fried Chicken convincingly, AND bags like "Sriracha" have shown an uncanny ability to replicate types of Hot Sauce. Could be a big hit if they produce it.

The last 2 semi-finalists are "Sloppy Joe" and Kettle Cooked "Everything Bagel with Cream Cheese".

"Sloppy Joe flavoring actually could probably lend itself easily to chips. But, in the same way I felt "Crispy Tacos" could just be generic Taco seasoning. This bag could literally end up tasting like McCormick Sloppy Joe seasoning.

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Mmm. These are fantastic!
These "Corte Fino" or "Fine(ly) Cut" chips from Lay's Spain are simplicity at it's finest. The chips are lightly salted and cooked in Sunflower oil which gives them a really delicate flavor.
They are thin cut, however they have a lot of crunch...i'd guess they are small batch or kettle cooked.
Unlike the Olive Oil cooked chips Lay's Spain offers, which I found to be a bit bitter and unpleasant... these chips offer similar distinct oil taste but with salt and without the bitterness. That Sunflower oil makes such a difference in taste and really elevates this from a simple bag of salted crisps.
There isn't really much more to say about these. They are SO simple, but SO addictive.
If you pass through Spain and can get your hands on these, I highly recommend them!

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

EW. I'm still coughing.
IDK what it is, but these got some funky dusty taste to them.
The pita chip is cooked well enough. Tastes like a well cooked pita chip... not too thick or too greasy (which I hate). But the seasoning is just funky. There was a LOT of hummus dipping going on with these.
I think it's the red pepper seasoning, it just has this dusty, lightly cheesy flavor. (Actually, that makes sense, Red Pepper is used in a lot of cheese substitutes to give them a more cheese like flavor). You get sweetness from the tomato. And spice coming through, again from the pepper. Ya, I guess my complaint with these is that slightly cheesy flavor, because it catches you off guard. The sweet tomato and spice would probably be really nice if not overpowered by that other note. These just don't do it for me at all, I really didn't enjoy them. I put them out at a party, and they weren't really enjoyed by my guests either. So... MEH.

But what do you think? Have you had these before? Did you like them? What do you think of Lay's/Walkers making Pita Chips? Let us know in the comments below.

Thursday, June 15, 2017

OH HELLO BEAUTIFUL!
Look what we found in the wild guys! A Limited Time Flavor from Lay's USA! I found these "Lime & Sea Salt" Lay's when I was cruising Fremont Street in Las Vegas, NV. I had heard NOTHING about them, but that flavor looked DELICIOUS, especially in the 100 degree heat.
The potato is thin and has a nice light yellow color. The light cook on this chip really lent itself well to such a refreshing flavor. The flavor was VERY complex. There was a noticeable sweetness from the Lime but also a refreshing sour/ acidic taste. Sharing this bag with my friends, we all compared the bag to "Salt & Vinegar" but noticeably sweeter. The sour flavor is very clearly juicy Lime. And the Salt is the perfect amount for this bag.
So it's this beautiful, even balance of Salt & Sour with a bit of refreshing sweet. I really LOVED this bag. It was really perfect for a day in the desert, lol.

I haven't heard a peep about these online, so I don't know how long they will be available. I would guess it's a Summer flavor. So, if this sounds like something you'd want to get a hold of, I would start looking now. If you can't find it in Supermarkets, I'd suggest checking liquor stores or gas stations. This is THEE Summer bag for fans of Lay's "Limon" or "Salt & Vinegar". Happy Hunting!

In all seriousness, these taste nothing like chips. They taste like potato chex, but that is not an awful thing. They are fun to munch on. I pretty much inhaled them. The texture is fun and makes them a bit addictive. The flavor didn't do much for me though. It was kind of like Ruffles Cheddar and Sour Cream flavor. Which I personally don't like. It was VERY rich tasting.I actually think these would be BOMB in Cheetos flavored Cheddar. That just reminded me of the OLD school 3D Doritos... the texture is SUPER similar. But, back to these, the flavor was too much for me. The texture was the highlight of this bag. So, I'm interested in trying the second flavor in this collection... "Sea Salt" (although I don't know that that flavor is well suited to this shape either). I'd love to see it in more flavors. If you are a fan of the Ruffles "Cheddar & Sour Cream", this is probably a great bag for you. It's a good party bag for sure, but not for me.

What do you think? Have you had poppables? Do you miss Doritos 3D? OR the lil Mini 3D Doritos? (aawww). Discuss in the comments below :)

Monday, April 17, 2017

Here is a flavor from France that felt familiar; "Cheese & Onion".
Opening that bag gives off that lovely scent you expect of Cheese & Onion, but as I've said many times before, the visuals in French Lay's leave much to be desired. The chips are overly bright yellow, they are thin and transparent, which often leads to a bag full of broken chips, most of which are burnt. However, the flavor was very nice. They tasted like Ruffles Cheddar from the US, but much more subdued. I wouldn't say the onion flavor was significant though. I could only find it at the tail end when I really racked my palette looking for it. There was a bit more when you ate more of the chips. But, again, fairly tame. I good bag for that person who loves Cheesy chips. Nothing too spectacular though.

Friday, April 14, 2017

Tried this exciting little bag from the "Ancienne" line in France. That means "Ancient" which I think is weird, but, we going with it. So, this flavor is "Ancient Mustard". The bag smelled of "Salt and Vinegar" Chips. As with all of France's chips, the texture is thin and bubbly, very transparent, with burnt edges, and brightly yellow colored. Not my favorite texture to be honest. The flavor on these was not very strong of potato (again, pretty common for France). They start of sour, then you get the Mustard flavor, but suddenly it's TOO much Mustard and begins to burn your palette. The flavor, is something I would describe as "pungent". It left me with a burning sensation on my tongue and a very unpleasant aftertaste. I don't know who I would recommend this bag to. Probably no one. Leave that Ancient funkyass Mustard in the past where it belongs. Aint no one want it here!

Tuesday, April 11, 2017

"London, England: Home of many great historic sights including St. Paul's Cathedral, Shakespeare's Globe, and, of course, Buckingham Palace. Yet, amidst these wondrous sights I find myself treasuring a miniature aluminum bag painted passion red. The home of famous "Walkers Crisps" brings me "Walkers Deep Ridged Taste Flamin' Hot" or what I've dubbed as the new crown jewel of Londontown. I'm sure Queen Elizabeth shall agree. As I begin my journey into crispy potato heaven, I feel the tingle of a foreign spice; Paprika! Tangy Paprika, instantly swirls around each taste bud as I wipe away tears of bliss. What's next is expected in the world of Spicy foods, but a surprise to my tongue none the less. A melon-lime twist, with a streak of tomato dazzle. The chip is airy and light though, and it feels like a crispy adventure on it's own as my tongue traverses each ridge of it's wild texture. I recommend this chip to any renaissance man (or woman) looking for an afternoon pick-me-up. May pair well with your British Afternoon Tea (but probably not). Ta-ta. Cheerio. And God Save The Queen!
With Love, As Always,
Francesca xx Diablo xx"

If this isn't the best Chip Review I have ever posted on my blog, I don't know what is!

Monday, April 10, 2017

Lay's USA got some recent additions to their brand... "Poppables" in "Sea Salt" and "White Cheddar" hit the shelves back in February. I don't know what they are but Lay's describes them as "Perfectly Poppable Crispy Potato Bites"... super descriptive.
Anyways, do you wanna try a potato disc filled with air that will surely be discontinued before the end of the year? Tell us why in the comments below!

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The Chip Report is an attempt to taste every Frito-Lay chip around the world. We're here to talk about international flavors and marketing, compare them to the status-quo here at home, and track down hard to find bags like a scavenger hunt. You can join in too, let us know about bags of chips you've come across in your travels!

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Looking for info about a particular flavor? Use the search bar to find what you seek. Want to browse similar flavors? Each entry is tagged by Style of Chip, Country of Origin, Flavors/Ingredients, and Type of Entry (i.e. Review or News etc.)... if you want to see more, just click on the tag that peaks your curiosity. Stories about new flavors being released are usually labeled "Gotta Get At This". Stories about new contests being held around the world are labeled "Contest". Reviews are labeled simply by bag name.Enjoy!